More growl from 59B?

misterwhizzy

Well-known member
Is this a mag swap thing, or do I need to go Custom? The UOA5 still has a little more bite than I'd like. Do I go A8? A2? Some variety of Custom? Those are the two pickups I have to work with at the moment, and I'd rather not buy another. Surely one of them can get me there.
 
Every time I have used the UOA5 magnet in a pickup, I felt like it rounded off the tone and created a smoother tone with less bite. I don't think you are going to get less "bite" with any of the pickups you mentioned, especially the Custom.
 
I really liked the 59B growl with regular A5 but 250k volume pot
does take off a little output though

A8 has growl but there is a harsh sound I feel like they give, sounds very modern and edgy after a long time of using A5, A2. I would switch to the custom before going A8, a8 just fatigues my ears after a while.
 
I would think a Custom has less growl, actually.
Mag swapping or an EQ pedal are your cheapest options. Start there, and decide if you want to increase the volume (and decrease touch-sensitivity), you might opt for a more powerful pickup.
 
Make a 59/C. Hybridizing always gives you more growl. Then you could tweak it by going double screw to add growl or not. Plus a mellow or medium mag depending on how much top end bite you want. A2 and A6 are mellower while UOA5 and A3 are medium bitey-er.
 
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Is this a mag swap thing, or do I need to go Custom? The UOA5 still has a little more bite than I'd like. Do I go A8? A2? Some variety of Custom? Those are the two pickups I have to work with at the moment, and I'd rather not buy another. Surely one of them can get me there.

An A8 Duncan '59B is pretty much an Ibanez Super 70 (technically 5% overwound, but with Duncan winding tolerances, really maybe 10%, and maybe not at all 0%)

It is kinda growly and kinda EVH-ey


PS correction: a super 70 copy would be achieved with a double-ish thickness A8
 
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I'm unclear on what's going on.

You have a stock '59B and you want more growl from it...but an UOA5 gives you too much bite?

What exactly is it that you want, tone wise? In other words, what does "growl" mean to you? And what do you have right now, pickup/magnet wise?
 
I think I found it, but not in any of the ways suggested. I had an old Demon laying around, and I stuck that in. I had at one point put an A8 in it, but that's way too modern sounding. I realized that and swapped in an extra A2, added a bit of gain and bass and rolled off the volume a bit. Bingo.

For what it's worth, the Demon has phenomenal clarity under very heavy gain. I had forgotten that. I think I'll try to stick with this one for a while.
 
Demon with an A2? Interesting, I would have tried a smooth UOA5.

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I've often wondered what a regular ceramic would do to a 59b.

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I'd say that's a pretty good description. Maybe a little more push to the frontend of the amp.

More gain, roll off your treble, get an outboard e.q. The '59 is enough of a "blank slate" pickup that simple e.q. and gain adjustments should get you where you need to be.

I was confused because I thought you were asking for more "oomph," but found UOA5 too much.

A ceramic magnet in the '59 will put more oomph into your amp, thickening up the low end.

Treble is easy to dial back. Better to start with too much than too little.
 
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